How to Change a 2002 F150 Lower Ball Joint

The ball joints on the Ford F150 truck work like the joints in a person's arm, but they can wear down over time. If there is too much movement on the ball joint, it needs to be changed. The ball joint on a 2002 model F150 is a permanent part of the lower control arm and cannot be changed individually. You must change the entire control arm.

Instructions

Removal

1

Raise the truck and support it on jack stands, then remove the wheel for the control arm/ball joint you are changing.

2

Disconnect the brake caliper and its mounting bracket if the truck has two-wheel drive--remove their bolts with a wrench, then slip the brake disc off the studs. Unbolt and remove the brake splash shield. Don't let the caliper hang by its hose.

3

Remove the torsion bar on a four-wheel-drive truck; mark the relationship of the torsion bar and cross-member support, the adjuster bolt to its nut, and the bar's forward end to the control arm. If the truck has four-wheel anti-lock brakes, disconnect the wire bracket from the control arm.

4

Remove the nuts/bolts connecting the shock absorber's lower end to the control arm and pull the shock out of the truck from below.

5

Detach the brake hose's bracket from the control arm by removing its bolt, then remove the front stabilizer bar link nut to disconnect it from the control arm; keep its metal washer and rubber bushing nearby.

6

Compress the coil spring with a spring compressor, following the specific instructions for that compressor.

7

Separate the control arm from the steering knuckle by removing the cotter pin, loosening the ball stud nut without removing it, and using a puller tool to separate the two parts.

8

Pull the lower control arm and ball joint from the frame brackets after removing their pivot bolts in the lower cross member.

Installation

9

Raise the replacement control arm and ball joint into position and install its pivot bolts and other fasteners. Make sure the bolts are facing forward so the nuts are at the front, and don't tighten the nuts fully yet.

10

Guide the control arm toward the steering knuckle with a floor jack, insert the ball joint stud into the hole in the knuckle, install the nut to between 83 and 112 foot pounds, and install a new cotter pin.

11

Re-connect the stabilizer bar and install the shock absorber.

12

Connect the torsion bar and anti-lock wire bracket for a four-wheel-drive truck. Re-connect the brake disc and caliper with its mounting bracket on a two-wheel-drive model.

13

Raise the control arm again with the floor jack until it reaches its normal ride height, and then tighten the control arm's pivot bolts to between 121 and 147 foot pounds.

14

Re-connect the wheels and skid plate and lower the truck.